Donate
Dear brothers and sisters,
Once again, thank you all for joining in this celebration of Mass today. This is a significant occasion for us all and, indeed, for our whole Diocese – for this is the first Mass to celebrate Migrants and I am sure it will not be the last, but rather set a new pattern for the years to come.
In today’s first reading, we find Paul turning his attention to the gentile world. The gospel reaches new hearers and, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles and in Paul’s letters to these new communities, the message of salvation is welcomed. The Church becomes a place for all – a truly multi-cultural community. It is this same phenomenon that we celebrate today as we come together from all parts of the world, celebrating the universality – the catholicity – of the Church. We are the body of Christ, the living stones, making the spiritual house. The impact of the Gospel message calls all to the sheepfold of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who cares for His flock.
As we gather today, I know we are all mindful of the recent election of Pope Leo XIV as the Successor of Peter. He has chosen a significant name – a name that speaks to our celebration today. Pope St. Leo the Great was a man noted for his efforts to ensure peace. He left Rome to negotiate with Attila and the invading hordes withdrew. Our new Pope Leo called for peace in his first words after his election. We must be a community of peace in our own time – each and every one of us proclaiming the peace of Christ to the world. In a society, a city, where the impact of substance abuse and knife crime affect so many – we must show a new and better way. In a world torn apart by warfare and violence, we must proclaim peace with justice.
The previous Pope Leo – Leo XIII – is also significant for our celebration today. At the end of the 19th Century, in his famous letter Rerum Novarum he wrote of the challenges of his own age, calling for a just wage for the workers of the 19th Century in the years immediately following the Industrial Revolution. He supported the work of Trades Unions in ensuring the rights of workers. In this way, he set in motion the progress of Catholic Social Teaching. Our new Pope Leo has, I suggest, indicated his intentions to further this vital work.
We see this teaching present in our City and one of the things I call on us all to celebrate is the cooperation between the parishes of Brighton and Citizens UK. I thank Citizens UK for their support for this celebration and encourage you all to strive for Social Justice across this city, most especially with regard to housing projects and proposals for the old [Brighton General Hospital] site just up the hill from here. Many of you will have already experienced the action brought about by Citizens UK and by our parish communities. This is, surely, Catholic Social Teaching in action – and in action for the wonderful and universal community that we celebrate in this Mass.
Most importantly, today, we give thanks to God for all the gifts he has given to us. Look at the person next to you in this Church – marvel at the giftedness you see around you. Reflect on your own giftedness, rooted in the many cultures from which we have come and bringing to our society a richness beyond measure. Be confident in using the gifts that God has given to you for the common good – the building up of our society, our world, our diocese and – indeed – this City of Brighton & Hove. Just as Paul, through his preaching of the Gospel, brought change and new life to the people of his day, so can we bring change and new life to the people of our own day.
May the Lord bless us in the work He has given us to do.
Image: with thanks to Harry Robertson
